By Stuart Littleford, Saddleworth News
Saddleworth News has arranged a special screening of the iconic film KES at The Swan public house in Dobcross.
David Bradley, who plays the young boy ‘Billy Casper’ in the film, will be making a special guest appearance at the event. The event will see all proceeds from the ticket sales going to The PC Nicola Hughes North Pole Marathon Charity.
David Bradley as Billy Casper in KES
The film will be screened in the theatre room above the pub. David Bradley, who later changed his name to Dai, will then take questions and answers after the film. He told Saddleworth News he could not turn down coming to the event as it was for “such a worthwhile cause” and would love to help in any way he could.
David will not be charging any fees for his appearance. The owners of the film Park Circus in Glasgow have kindly agreed to waive the required public performance licence, enabling all the money from tickets sales to go to the charity.
The evening will support Bryn Hughes’ fundraising marathon. He will be running the North Pole Marathon in memory of his daughter, PC Nicola Hughes to create a lasting legacy to the memory of Nicola and her colleague who tragically lost their lives in the line of duty. The charity’s beneficiaries are Victim Support, COPS and NW Police Benevolent Fund.
Since its release in 1969, Kes has become a much-loved classic and has, without doubt, touched many lives. The British Film Institute ranks it at number 7 in the list of top 100 British films ever made. Director Ken Loach received international acclaim for this enormously moving tale of a lonely working-class Yorkshire boy, who turns from a life of comic books and shoplifting when he finds a baby kestrel and decides to raise and train it.
David (Dai) Bradley was a fourteen year old schoolboy when he was plucked to star in Kes. Over forty years, David has enjoyed working with many celebrated actors; among them Anthony Hopkins, Richard Burton, Burt Lancaster, Peter O’Toole, John and Hayley Mills, Joan Plowright, Bob Hoskins, Derek Jacobi, Nigel Hawthorne, Ernest Borgnine, Christopher Plummer, Simon Ward – and a prima donna Joan Fontaine.
The event starts at 7.30pm on Sunday 27th October. Tickets cost £15 and are available in advance by collection from the bar.
Demand is expected to be high so don’t delay in purchasing your tickets